hebeick



B. L. HERRl-CK.

-CR.EEPEB.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.2B, I921.

1,420, 1 01 Patented June 20, 1922.

INVENTOR. BERT L. f/zfifi/c/v A TTORNEY BERT I. OF,OAKLI-.\ND, CALIFORNIA.

CREEPER.

Application filed November 28, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that i, Bnirr L. Hermon, a citizen of the United States, residingat @a'ikland, in the county of Alameda and State of (:hilifornia. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Creepers, of which the following is a spe .=ifi.cation.

This invention relates to creepers, and of that type as primarily used while working under the ordinary motor vehicle in common use.

The present automobile creepers are long and rectangular in shape, and are adapted to support the entire back and head and thus raise the body several inches from the floor or working surface. Experience has shown that this type of creeper cannot always be used advantageously because at best, the space beneath a car is very limited for convenient and efficient working, and when one is positioned and working on such a creeper, his arm and shoulder movements are correspondingly restricted due to his rise from the floor. Also, the present creepers allow but limited lateral and all-arounddisplacement beneath a car. For change of position one generally withdraws from under the car, turns around outside, then creeps back to the new position.

An object of my improved creeper is to obviate this withdrawal, and another object is to support the body and yet eliminate the back and head support, thus making it possible to utilize the entire available space beneath a car for working purposes, by permitting the maximum and unrestricted use of the arms and shoulders while there under. A further object of my invention is to produce the improved creeper in quantity as an article of manufacture, inexpensive, light-weight, simple and compact, easily cleanable, and efficient and durable.

Other advantages residing in my creeper will be set forth in the following description, where I shall describe my invention in its preferred form and as illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification. The novelty of the invention will be included in the claims following the description. From this it is apparent that I do not limit myself to the precise form shown in the drawing, but wish to include all variations of it that come within the spirit and scope of the said claims.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2t), 1922.

Serial no. 518,252.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of an automobile showing my creeper in use and supporting a person. 2 is a plan view of the device, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of it. Fig. t is a vertical cross-section of it along the center-line shown in Fig. 2.

1 in. F 2 represents the body of creeper, made preferably of sheet-metal, and formed circular in shape with the major portion of its top surface depressed, shown clearly at 2 in Fig. 4C, forming thereby a seat surrounded by an inverted channel havmg a fiat bottom. This shallow concave seat is to substantially fit the buttocks, and may be spherical or otherwise formed, and be of such depth that the outside bottom of it just clears the working surface when the creeper is assembled and completed as an unit article. The inside bottom of the assembled creeper, is therefore, also within close proximity of the working surface. allowing minimum working displacement of the supported buttocks from said surface.

I prefer to form the said body of a single piece of metal, with a downwardly projecting circumferential flange 3; the latter being provided for the purpose of reenforcing the body, and to serve as a guard-flange for protecting the fingers and to prevent arti cles on the floor from getting caught under the creeper when it is in motion.

To the under side of the body near its outer margin, rollers 4, preferably of the swiveling type are judiciously spaced and secured thereto in any approved manner, such as riveting or welding, adapting the device to be turned in any direction.

In service, my improved creeper is used as follows: One seats himself on it, and draws or pushes himself under the car, then rests his back directly on the working-surface and performs his tasks. If he desires the free and unrestricted use of his entire body for concentrated effort at any par ticular place, he can easily accomplish this by simply raising his buttocks a little and withdraw the creeper by hand. For normal position again, raise the buttocks slightly and slip the creeper back.

Some creepers now in use have brakes thereon, so when one wishes a fixed location he applies the brake to prevent the slipping of the creeper while working.

With my device it is apparent that no brake is necessary.

Having thus described my invention, and as previously stated, in its preferred form, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An automobile creeper, comprising an inverted annular channel structure having a flat bottom inoasing and supporting a plu rality oi swiveling rollers, the inner wall of said channel being continuous forming thereby a seat having smooth and plain surfaces for the support of a workman when lying down for the purpose set forth.

2. An automobile creeper, comprising a plain-surfaced body portion of size and shape to substantially fit and support the buttocks when lying down, the outer edge of which being turned down Substantially at ri ht angles to the plane of said body forming a reinforcing flange therefore, and said body portion supporting a plurality of rollers.

3. An automobile creeper, consisting of a depressed body and a plurality of rollers secured thereto near its outer margin on its underside, said body provided with a marginal guard-flange for finger protection from the rollers, the plane of the roller contact surface being approximately tangent to the bottom of the body, enabling a workman Supported on the creeper and beneath an automobile, to utilize the entire available space thereunder for unrestricted arm and shoulder movements.

In testimony whereof I affix my signatura BER-T L. HER-RICK. 

